CADILLAC — A cursory glance at the Michigan Sex Offender Registry may reveal that someone who’s been convicted of a sex crime lives near you.

Now what?

Advocates for reforming the registry say this publicly available information not only doesn’t make communities safer, it actually has the potential to make them more dangerous.

Those on the other side of the debate say the registry is a valuable tool that gives people the information they need to be aware of their surroundings and cognizant of potential threats.

The Michigan Sex Offender Registration Act was passed in 1994 and has undergone a number of modifications and additions over the years, including a revision in 1996 that required certain information about offenders to be made public. Under the current law, registrants are required to provide up-to-date information on where they live, where they work, their email and social media accounts, as well as a picture of themselves, which is posted online for the public to see. Depending on the severity of the crime, some offenders can eventually be removed from the registry while others have to remain on it for life. read more